[dba-Tech] System not responding for seconds at a time

John,

Maybe check the DMA mode on your drive(s) and see if any have switched to
PIO mode?

Bobby

-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of jwcolby
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 8:38 AM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues; VBA; Dba-Sqlserver
Subject: [dba-Tech] System not responding for seconds at a time

I don't quite know where to address this so I am cross posting it.  I am 
working on a fairly powerful server running Windows 2003 x64 and SQL 
Server 2003 x64.  It has 8 gigs of memory.  No malware software, 
software firewall, virus scanner etc.  Nothing.

I am running a file shrink on the SQL Server file, trying to remove 
about 140 gigs of empty space.  That process has been running since last 
night, well over 8 hours now.  It APPEARS that process is using all of 
available memory since task manager shows only about 200 megs 
"available".  However if you look at the process tab, no process says it 
is using more than 100 megs of ram.  The performance tab shows almost no 
CPU cycles used, 4 cores hanging out about 0 - 10% used, and even then 
only one of the cores appears to be doing anything.

The computer is "stuttering" badly.  Try to do anything - change to a 
different program, page up in visual studios code etc, and the computer 
will usually hesitate before doing whatever you requested.  I am trying 
to work on a VB project and can't get anything done because as I move 
around in the doc it may take 2 to 5 seconds just to respond to my 
request to move my cursor.

Has anyone seen SQL Server lock up the the system like this, IOW is it 
SQL Server?  Does anyone know how long the file shrink could take - 
days, weeks, months?  Does anyone know how to cancel the file shrink? 
This is the most powerful server I have, quad core, running x64 
software, 8 gigs, high speed raid arrays etc.

Unfortunately I was in the middle of a vb.net project yesterday before I 
started the shrink running after work and the server is unusable for 
anything right now.

-- 
John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com